Combined Treatment With Carotid Endoarterectomy and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Single-Institutional Experience in 222 Patients.

Introduction: Carotid atherosclerotic disease is a known independent risk factor of post operative stroke after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The best management of concomitant coronary artery disease and carotid artery disease remains debated. Current strategies include simultaneous carotid endoarterectomy (CEA) and CABG, staged CEA followed by CABG, staged CABG followed by CEA, staged transfemoral carotid artery stenting (TF-CAS) followed by CABG, simultaneous TF-CAS and CABG and transcarotid artery stenting.

One-year results after implantation of the CorCap for dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

Background: We conducted a prospective study of the clinical outcomes and health-related quality of life after implantation of the CorCap support device (Acorn Cardiovascular Inc, St Paul, MN) for dilated cardiomyopathy.

Methods: The criteria adopted for CorCap implantation were dilated cardiomyopathy (left ventricular [LV] end-diastolic diameter≥60 mm, LV ejection fraction≤0.30 and >0.

Prospective, randomized clinical trial of the FloSeal matrix sealant in cardiac surgery.

Background: Topical hemostatic agents composed of a gelatin-based matrix and thrombin have been reported to be effective, in addition to traditional means, in terminating bleeding during cardiac operations. We compared a hemostatic matrix sealant agent (FloSeal; Baxter Inc, Deerfield, IL) with alternative topical hemostatic agents in a mixed cohort of elective cardiac and thoracic aortic operations.

Methods: Following sample size calculation, in a prospective randomized study design, 209 patients were treated with FloSeal matrix sealant (FloSeal group) and 206 patients received alternative agents as topical hemostatic materials (comparison group).

Arterial revascularization in primary coronary artery bypass grafting: Direct comparison of 4 strategies--results of the Stand-in-Y Mammary Study.

Objective: It is unclear (1) whether the use of 2 arterial conduits rather than a single conduit in multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting significantly improves results despite the concomitant use of saphenous vein grafts and (2) whether any among different configurations of composite grafts (left/right thoracic arteries and radial artery) offers an advantage over the others.

Methods: Eight hundred fifteen patients were randomized to one of 3 different strategies of revascularization by using the left thoracic artery plus the right thoracic artery or using the left thoracic artery plus the radial artery. Venous grafts were used for the remaining targets.